No-idling Family Challenge


Idling harms your lungs, your car and the environment. Take our no-idling family challenge to reduce your idling this week! Send us your results, and you'll be entered for a chance to win a pair of Respiratory Health Association lawn chairs!

Download and print this handy chart to keep track of ways you can reduce idling. Examples include:
  • parking and going inside instead of using the drive-thru.
  • turning off the engine while waiting to pick up kids from school.
  • not pre-starting the car to cool down.
  • encouraging someone else not to idle.

Idling facts:
  • Idling more than 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting the engine.
  • Excessive idling can damage your engine. Idling partially burns fuel, which can cause residue build-up and can increase fuel consumption.
  • Burning a gallon of fuel creates nearly 20 pounds of carbon dioxide. If you reduce your idling by 10 minutes a day, in one year you will have prevented the emission of 3.6 tons of global warming pollution.

For more information on anti-idling policies, visit our Diesel Pollution pages.